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(No Model.) M HOUMAN CLOTHES LINE. SUPPORT.

Patentd 001;. 9, .1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT O FFIcE.

nanmus HOUMAN, or rn'rnnson, NEW JERSEY.

CLOTHES-LlNE SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,441 dated October 9, 1883.

Application filed March 6, 1883. (No model.) I

To a whom it may concern.-

- may swing bodily in a vertical plane,

Be it knownthat I, MARINUS HOUMAN, of the city of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clothes-Line Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the devices employed for supporting running clothes-lines in an elevated positionas, for example, lines which extend from the window of a house to a distant wall or post. Such lines are endless or have their ends connected, and are sup ported by two pulleys.

The invention consists in certain novel de tails of construction andcombinations of parts hereinafter described, and set forth in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a line supported by my improved devices; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view, on a larger scale, of a hanger and pulley embodying my invention.

Similar letters of references designate corresponding parts in both figures.

A A designate portions of two walls, between which the endless line B is extended. The line B passes around and is supported by pulleys GI), and passes through a third pulley, E. The pulley E is used simply to keep the line B taut; and to this end it has connected with it a tension device. Such device might consistof a spring; but, as here shown, it consists of a cord, to, passing over apulley, b, and having a weight, 0, attached to it. The pulley E is drawn over by the weight 0 and deflects the line, so as to take up any slack. The pulleys D and E are of ordinary form, and of themselves form no part of my invention. The pulley O is adapted to turn freely on a pivot, d, which is connected at the upper end only with a hanger, F, and projects downwardly therefrom. Thishanger extends transversely to the length of the pivot, and is bifurcated, its two ends being separately attached to the wall A. The two ends or bifurcations of the be pivoted to the wall by means so that the hanger and pulley and the hanger may of staples e,

hanger and pulley will then gravitate downward, and by their weight will keep the .line B taut when no clothes are on it, and prevent its slipping off the pulley O. The two ends or bifurcations of the hanger F may extend upward beyond their pivots e, as shown at f, and by bearing against the wall A, as shown in Fig. 2, form stops to limit the upward swinging movement of the hanger. When the hanger is in use, its pivotd is inclined inward or toward the wall A, and the line Biis thereby prevented from slipping downward off the pulley 0. At its upper end the pulley O has a flange, g, and although this flange may be of any shape, I have found that it is well adapted for the purpose if its inner or lower face is formed with an ogee curve; and I have here shown the pulley as downwardly tapering, or as made in the form of an inverted frustum of a cone.

My improved devices are very desirable for supporting a clothes-line, as they enable the whole length of the line to be used, and the line, with the clothes G attached or secured by ordinary clothes-pins, k, may be drawn freely around the pulley 0 without danger of detaching the clothes.

I am aware that it is not new to employ for a clothes-line a pulley having an upward taper, it being smallest at the upper end, and provided at the upper end with a flange,

and'l do not claim such apnlley as my invention; neither do I claim as of my invention an endless line and three pulleys around which it is passed, one of the pulleys being pivoted to a lever which may be shifted by hand to tighten the line, but which is not capable of tightening the line automatically.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the bifurcated hanger F, constructed as described, whereby it may be pivoted to a wall or other support,and provided with the stops f, for limiting its rising movement, the pivot d, extending downward and at an incline from said hanger, and the tapering pulley C, provided with the flange g at its upper end and made smallest at the lower end, substantially as herein described.

MARINUS HOUMAN.

Witnesses FREDK. HAYNES, ED. L. lVIORAN. 

